Tyres are the foundations on which your vehicle rests. Some important things to check are air pressure and that your tyres have sufficient tread. Doing these things will improve the car handling, gas mileage, and general tyre life. Below are some things to do when assessing your vehicles tyres.
Assessing tyre tread:
A quick way of checking this yourself would be to do the 1 euro test. Place the coin in the tyre tread, across multiple points along its length. Look for the outer band on the coin face. If you can see it then that means the tread is too shallow. When this is the case, it is highly recommended to change the tyres immediately. For example Continental tyres, who are a premium tyre manufacturer, typically have tyre treads of 8mm depth. They recommend that when the treads are down to 3mm you replace the tyre as soon as possible. Independent testing has conclusively shown that a tyre’s ability to grip rapidly deteriorates when the tread is too low. This can expose drivers to an increased risk of accident.
Visually scan the surface of the tyres for any damage:
What to do if you find a nail or stone stuck in the tyre? Consider calling a mechanic to remove it, as this could help avoid flats. Keep an eye out for imperfections on the sidewalls. Imperfections could be tears, bulges or cracks. Uneven tyre wear could be related to an offset wheel alignment.
Check tyre pressure monthly:
The ideal PSI (pressure per square inch) for each of your tyres is usually printed on the side of each tyre or on a label inside the drivers side door. How to check the pressure? Simply remove the cap on the tyres valve stem and press a tyre gauge firmly against the stem so that no air escapes. Then, read the stick that pops out of the gauge bottom, meter display, or LED screen. Repeat this on each tyre and add air as necessary. If you find yourself having to add air regularly to one or more of your tyres, you could have a leak and should consider enlisting a professional mechanic to look them over for repair or replacement.
